Drug addiction, financial crunch devastate Daikundi family

NEILI (Pajhwok): A family in central Daikundi province whose majority members are addicted to drugs complains about their deteriorated financial condition.

Syed Raza, originally from the Sairak area of Neili, the provincial capital, told Pajhwok Afghan News he got addicted to drugs in Iran back in 1998 and the illicit practice engulfed his other family members as well.

He said the reason behind the addiction of his wife and children was he himself, adding that he introduced the use of drug in the family.

Syed Raza said: “From the past 22 years, I am addicted to drugs, my wife is addicted from the past eight years and similarly my two children are also addicted to the use of illicit substance.”

He said only his eight years daughter is safe and not addicted.

“Initially when my wife and daughters would become sick I would give them opium for treatment because we were economically not sound and this practice persuaded them to the use of drug,” he said.

Raza added poverty and financial problems forced him to give opium to his ailing family members for relief and that made them drug addicts. He lamented his children did not go to school to become qualified people.

“Now I have decided to sell my children to pay the cost of drugs and provide food for ourselves. Daily we purchase drugs worth 300 afs,” he said.

Zainab, wife of Raza, also complained about her family financial condition and said from the past eight years she was addicted to drugs.

Due to financial problems she was unable to refer to a rehabilitation centre.

“People who have the ability to buy children are requested to please rescue my children and adopt them,” she appealed.

Zainab said sometimes they were hungry for two straight days or nights and have no food to eat.

Mohammad, 14, said: “My father always send me to bring drug for him, in initial days I stole some from the drug I brought for him to test it but later I got addicted.”

Health officials in Daikundi said no rehabilitation centre for drug addicts was active in the province at the moment.

Public Health Director MawlaviQasimAnqiyad said “Two drug rehabilitation facilities exist in the province for men and women each but due to financial problems both facilities have been closed.”

Personnel of the drug addicts’ rehabilitation centre for men came to the facility but due to donors’ lack of funding, the facility was not operational for patients.

Talks have been held with donors and there was hope for good news in the coming six months, he added.

nh/ma

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